Agoramania Soap Box
This Memorial Day, Wear a Poppy to Honor our Fallen Heroes
In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem:
| We cherish too, the Poppy red That grows on fields where valor led, It seems to signal to the skies That blood of heroes never dies. |
She then conceived of an
idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the
nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her
friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later
a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this
new custom started by Ms.Michael and when she returned to France, made
artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed
women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American
Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and
Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW
for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans'
organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy
program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948
the US Post Office honored Ms Michael for her role in founding the National
Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.
Posted at 08:46AM May 26, 2012 by Perry (Editor@USAB2C.com) in U.S.A. Traditions | Comments[0]
